


we blocked the noise with the sound of "i need you"

by surrenderer



Series: you can hear it in the silence [1]
Category: Bandom, Empires
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Soul Bond, Telepathy, Touring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-12
Updated: 2012-11-12
Packaged: 2017-11-18 12:19:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/561007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surrenderer/pseuds/surrenderer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where you bond with the right person for life and they become your soulmate in the literal sense of the word, Tom is glad that he found his.</p>
            </blockquote>





	we blocked the noise with the sound of "i need you"

**Author's Note:**

> I may explain the bonding process specific to this fic more in a later sequel, but for now, the basics: a soul bond in this 'verse includes a telepathic connection between the two individuals. Conversations between Tom and Sean through their telepathic connection are italicized.

Tom stares at the rack of gummy candies. It’s all the same to him, honestly, but no, Sean is _picky_ about his candy. He prefers Swedish Fish and gummy bears, but not sour gummy worms, and he’ll only eat regular gummy worms if he has to. Don’t even get him started on peach rings; they’re a disgrace to gummy candies, apparently.

Tom sighs, shaking his head. _Hey, what sort of candy do you want?_

 _Gummy bears, please,_ comes the answer, in Sean’s voice, in his head. _Get a bag with more red ones._

 _Bullshit, you’re getting the first bag and that’s it._ Tom takes the first bag of gummy bears that he spots and heads for the register with everything else he has (two bottles of water, a bag of chips, a bag of cough drops because they ran out). It’s four in the morning at some godforsaken gas station in the middle of god only knows where. The coffee won’t even be worth drinking. It’ll be bottom-of-the-pot sludge, and Tom isn’t dumb enough to pour himself a cup. He wants to sleep anyway. He needs it and he knows Sean will only sleep if he’s asleep as well. And Tom can’t deny Sean a thing.

He takes his purchases out of the store; Julio is leaning against the side of the van and watching the numbers on the pump display as their tank fills up. Mike is keeping him company, and Max was still in the store, last time Tom saw him. Sean is sitting in the open door of the van, smiling sleepily at him.

(Tom remembers the first time he ever saw Sean smile like that and how it took his breath away. It still does now.)

“Did you get my gummy bears?” he asks, Tom rolling his eyes and throwing the bag into his lap. Moment ruined.

“Yes, I did. And no, I’m not going to feed you the red ones only.” Sean pouts a little, but Tom kisses his forehead before going to check on Julio and Mike. Everyone’s on the verge of falling asleep, and the thought of just parking here and catching some sleep is so tempting. But they have miles to go before they can sleep.

 _But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep,_ Tom thinks idly as they wait for Max to come back so they can start driving again. Mike’s got the next shift, and then it’s Tom’s turn.

 _Thomas Conrad. Are you reciting poetry?_ Sean asks, amusement in his mind-voice. Tom is never alone unless he actively blocks Sean out, and even then, he never does it unless he’s a) feeling petty, b) feeling angry, or c) needs alone time.

Okay, maybe he does it more than he admits. But for the most part, his bond with Sean is wide-open and goes both ways. _It’s the only line I know,_ he admits with a silent chuckle. Sean laughs too, the sound quiet in his head, and then Tom feels him step out of his mind a little, his attention no longer entirely on Tom. He’s probably getting their little nest in the back of the van all fluffy and to his liking again.

Max rejoins them with a bottle of some sort of juice and his snacks, and they’re off again. Tom crawls into the backseat where Sean is waiting, wrapped up in one blanket while the others are on the floor of the van around him. He settles into Sean’s arms easily, feeling him rub his nose against his cheek.

 _You’re nuzzling me again. That tickles,_ he tells Sean as indignantly as he can, but he feels nothing but happiness from Sean in return.

(In a world where you bond with the right person for life and they become your soulmate in the literal sense of the word, Tom is glad that he found his.)


End file.
